Methods for treating a disease involving choroidal neovascularization by administering an IL-6 receptor antibody

ABSTRACT

The present inventors focused on the fact that inflammation at the subretinal macular area enhances choroidal neovascularization, and developed pharmaceutical agents that suppress initiation or advancement of neovascularization by angiogenic factors such as VEGF. More specifically, the present inventors revealed that administering anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies to mice treated with laser photocoagulation inhibits the development of choroidal neovascularization.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the National Stage of International Application Serial No. PCT/JP2007/051226, filed on Jan. 26, 2007, which claims the benefit of Japanese Application Serial No. 2006-018543, filed on Jan. 27, 2006. The contents of the foregoing applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving choroidal neovascularization, which comprise IL-6 inhibitors as active ingredients, and uses thereof. The present invention also relates to inhibitors of choroidal neovascularization that comprise IL-6 inhibitors as active ingredients, and uses thereof.

BACKGROUND ART

Age-related macular degeneration is a disease that causes abnormality in the macula of the retina; it is the leading cause of vision loss in Europe and the United States. In Japan, the disease is also steadily increasing because of the aging population. The macula is located in the center of the retina, and the region is densely populated with cone cells among the photoreceptor cells. Rays of light coming from outside are refracted by the cornea and crystalline lens, and then converge on the macula, the central fovea in particular. The ability to read letters depends on the function of this area. In age-related macular degeneration, the macula, which is an important area as described above, degenerates with age and results in visual impairment, mainly in the form of image distortion (anorthopia) and central scotoma.

The wet form of age-related macular degeneration is a disease with a poor prognosis, which results in rapid and severe visual impairment. The major pathological condition is choroidal neovascularization (herein below, sometimes abbreviated as “CNV”). CNV refers to ectopic growth of choroidal vessels, penetrating through Bruch's membrane and retinal pigment epithelia. In wet age-related macular degeneration, hemorrhage and leakage of plasma components comprising fat from the premature vascular plexus is the direct cause of the rapid functional impairment of the neural retina. CNV is thought to be induced by inflammatory cells mainly comprising macrophages that infiltrate to phagocytose drusen accumulated at the subretinal macular area. Inflammatory cells such as macrophages are also sources of production of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and they function to enhance neovascularization at sites of inflammation. This process is called “inflammatory neovascularization”. Meanwhile, drusen comprise advanced glycation end-products (AGE) and amyloid β, which are substances that stimulate VEGF production; these substances stimulate retinal pigment epithelia that have migrated to engulf drusen, resulting in VEGF secretion, and this is thought to be another possible mechanism by which CNV develops.

Diseases involving CNV include myopic choroidal neovascularization and idiopathic choroidal neovascularization as well as age-related macular degeneration. Development of diseases involving CNV can sometimes be ascribed to angioid streaks, injury, uveitis, or such. Tissue damage mainly of the Bruch's membrane and retinal pigment epithelia in the subretinal macular area, and the subsequent inflammation, have been suggested to be involved in the mechanism of CNV onset in these diseases, as well as in age-related macular degeneration.

Recent studies demonstrated that VEGF produced in association with inflammation was involved in CNV. Diseases involving CNV have been treated using VEGF antagonists, such as anti-VEGF aptamers, with some degree of success. VEGF antagonists are administered at an advanced stage, when neovascularization develops; however, this is problematic in that irreversible and incurable neurologic damage will remain when therapies begin after entering this advanced stage.

IL-6 is a cytokine called B-cell stimulating factor 2 (BSF2) or interferon β2. IL-6 was discovered as a differentiation factor involved in the activation of B-cell lymphocytes (Non-patent Document 1), and was later revealed to be a multifunctional cytokine that influences the function of various cells (Non-patent Document 2). IL-6 has been reported to induce maturation of T lymphocyte cells (Non-patent Document 3).

IL-6 transmits its biological activity via two kinds of proteins on the cell. The first kind of protein is the IL-6 receptor, which is a ligand binding protein to which IL-6 binds; it has a molecular weight of about 80 kDa (Non-patent Documents 4 to 5). The IL-6 receptor is present in a membrane-bound form that penetrates and is expressed on the cell membrane, and also as a soluble IL-6 receptor, which mainly consists of the extracellular region of the membrane-bound form.

The other kind of protein is the membrane protein gp 130, which has a molecular weight of about 130 kDa and is involved in non-ligand binding signal transduction. The biological activity of IL-6 is transmitted into the cell through formation of an IL-6/IL-6 receptor complex by IL-6 and IL-6 receptor followed by binding of the complex with gp130 (Non-patent Document 6).

IL-6 inhibitors are substances that inhibit the transmission of IL-6 biological activity. Currently, known IL-6 inhibitors include antibodies against IL-6 (anti-IL-6 antibodies), antibodies against IL-6 receptor (anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies), antibodies against gp130 (anti-gp130 antibodies), IL-6 variants, partial peptides of IL-6 or IL-6 receptor, and such.

There are several reports regarding anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies (Non-patent Documents 7 to 8 and Patent Documents 1 to 3). One such report details a humanized PM-1 antibody, which is obtained by transplanting the complementarity determining region (CDR) of mouse antibody PM-1 (Non-patent Document 9), which is an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, into a human antibody (Patent Document 4).

The level of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in patients with age-related macular degeneration has recently been reported to be elevated (Non-patent Document 10). However, the role of IL-6 in diseases involving CNV remains to be clarified.

Prior art literature relating to the present invention of this application is shown below.

-   Patent Document 1: International Patent Application Publication No.     WO 95/09873 -   Patent Document 2: French Patent Application No. FR 2694767 -   Patent Document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,128 -   Patent Document 4: International Patent Application Publication No.     WO 92/19759 -   Non-patent Document 1: Hirano, T. et al., Nature (1986) 324, 73-76 -   Non-patent Document 2: Akira, S. et al., Adv. in Immunology (1993)     54, 1-78 -   Non-patent Document 3: Lotz, M. et al., J. Exp. Med. (1988) 167,     1253-1258 -   Non-patent Document 4: Taga, T. et al., J. Exp. Med. (1987) 166,     967-981 -   Non-patent Document 5: Yamasaki, K. et al., Science (1988) 241,     825-828 -   Non-patent Document 6: Taga, T. et al., Cell (1989) 58, 573-581 -   Non-patent Document 7: Novick, D. et al., Hybridoma (1991) 10,     137-146 -   Non-patent Document 8: Huang, Y W. et al., Hybridoma (1993) 12,     621-630 -   Non-patent Document 9: Hirata, Y. et al., J. Immunol. (1989) 143,     2900-2906 -   Non-patent Document 10: Seddon J. M., Arch Opthalmol. 2005 Jun,     123(6), 774-82

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The present invention was achieved in view of the above situation. An objective of the present invention is to provide preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving choroidal neovascularization, which comprise IL-6 inhibitors as active ingredients. Another objective of the present invention is to provide inhibitors of choroidal neovascularization, which comprise IL-6 inhibitors as active ingredients.

Still another objective of the present invention is to provide methods for treating diseases involving choroidal neovascularization, which comprise the step of administering an IL-6 inhibitor to a subject who has developed a disease involving choroidal neovascularization.

Means for Solving the Problems

In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors noted that CNV is enhanced by inflammation at the subretinal macular area, and thus they developed agents for suppressing the initiation or advancement of neovascularization induced by angiogenic factors such as VEGF. Specifically, the present inventors discovered that the advancement of CNV could be inhibited by administering anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody to mice in which CNV had been induced by laser photocoagulation.

That is, the present inventors discovered that the advancement of CNV could be suppressed by administering IL-6 inhibitors, and thus completed the present invention.

More specifically, the present invention provides the following [1] to [36]:

-   [1] a preventive and/or therapeutic agent for a disease involving     choroidal neovascularization, wherein the agent comprises an IL-6     inhibitor as an active ingredient; -   [2] the agent of [1], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that     recognizes an IL-6; -   [3] the agent of [1], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that     recognizes an IL-6 receptor; -   [4] the agent of [2] or [3], wherein the antibody is a monoclonal     antibody; -   [5] the agent of [2] or [3], wherein the antibody recognizes a human     IL-6 or a human IL-6 receptor; -   [6] the agent of [2] or [3], wherein the antibody is a recombinant     antibody; -   [7] the agent of [6], wherein the antibody is a chimeric, humanized,     or human antibody; -   [8] the agent of any of [1] to [7], wherein the disease involving     choroidal neovascularization is age-related macular degeneration,     myopic choroidal neovascularization, or idiopathic choroidal     neovascularization; -   [9] an inhibitor of choroidal neovascularization, which comprises an     IL-6 inhibitor as an active ingredient; -   [10] the inhibitor of [9], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody     that recognizes an IL-6; -   [11] the inhibitor of [9], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody     that recognizes an IL-6 receptor; -   [12] the inhibitor of [10] or [11], wherein the antibody is a     monoclonal antibody; -   [13] the inhibitor of [10] or [11], wherein the antibody recognizes     a human IL-6 or human IL-6 receptor; -   [14] the inhibitor of [10] or [11], wherein the antibody is a     recombinant antibody; -   [15] the inhibitor of [14], wherein the antibody is a chimeric,     humanized, or human antibody; -   [16] a method for treating a disease involving choroidal     neovascularization in a subject, which comprises the step of     administering an IL-6 inhibitor to the subject who has developed a     disease involving choroidal neovascularization; -   [17] the method of [16], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody     that recognizes an IL-6; -   [18] the method of [16], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody     that recognizes an IL-6 receptor; -   [19] the method of [17] or [18], wherein the antibody is a     monoclonal antibody; -   [20] the method of [17] or [18], wherein the antibody recognizes a     human IL-6 or a human IL-6 receptor; -   [21] the method of [17] or [18], wherein the antibody is a     recombinant antibody; -   [22] the method of [21], wherein the antibody is a chimeric,     humanized, or human antibody; -   [23] use of an IL-6 inhibitor in the manufacture of a preventive     and/or therapeutic agent for a disease involving choroidal     neovascularization; -   [24] the use of [23], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that     recognizes an IL-6; -   [25] the use of [23], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that     recognizes an IL-6 receptor; -   [26] the use of [24] or [25], wherein the antibody is a monoclonal     antibody; -   [27] the use of [24] or [25], wherein the antibody recognizes a     human IL-6 or a human IL-6 receptor; -   [28] the use of [24] or [25], wherein the antibody is a recombinant     antibody; -   [29] the use of [28], wherein the antibody is a chimeric, humanized,     or human antibody; -   [30] use of an IL-6 inhibitor in the manufacture of an inhibitor of     choroidal neovascularization; -   [31] the use of [30], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that     recognizes an IL-6; -   [32] the use of [30], wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that     recognizes an IL-6 receptor; -   [33] the use of [31] or [32], wherein the antibody is a monoclonal     antibody; -   [34] the use of [31] or [32], wherein the antibody recognizes a     human IL-6 or a human IL-6 receptor; -   [35] the use of [31] or [32], wherein the antibody is a recombinant     antibody; and -   [36] the use of [35], wherein the antibody is a chimeric, humanized,     or human antibody.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a set of photographs showing sections of CNV, obtained by using a confocal microscope to visualize samples of lectin-stained choroidal flatmounts.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the results of volumetric evaluation of CNV volume after administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present inventors discovered that the development of CNV could be suppressed by administering anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies. The present invention was achieved based on this finding.

The present invention relates to preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving choroidal neovascularization, and inhibitors of choroidal neovascularization, which comprise IL-6 inhibitors as active ingredients.

Herein, an “IL-6 inhibitor” is a substance that blocks IL-6-mediated signal transduction and inhibits IL-6 biological activity. Preferably, the IL-6 inhibitors are substances that have inhibitory function against the binding of an IL-6, IL-6 receptor, or gp130.

The IL-6 inhibitors of the present invention include, but are not limited to, for example, anti-IL-6 antibodies, anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies, anti-gp130 antibodies, IL-6 variants, soluble IL-6 receptor variants, and partial peptides of an IL-6 or IL-6 receptor and low molecular weight compounds that show similar activities. Preferable IL-6 inhibitors of the present invention include antibodies that recognize IL-6 receptors.

The source of the antibodies is not particularly restricted in the present invention; however, the antibodies are preferably derived from mammals, and more preferably derived from humans.

The anti-IL-6 antibodies used in the present invention can be obtained as polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies using known means. In particular, monoclonal antibodies derived from mammals are preferred as the anti-IL-6 antibodies used in the present invention. Monoclonal antibodies derived from mammals include those produced from hybridomas and those produced by genetic engineering methods from hosts transformed with an expression vector that comprises an antibody gene. By binding to IL-6, the antibody inhibits IL-6 from binding to an IL-6 receptor and thus blocks the transmission of IL-6 biological activity into the cell.

Such antibodies include MH166 (Matsuda, T. et al., Eur. J. Immunol. (1988) 18, 951-956), SK2 antibody (Sato, K. et al., transaction of the 21^(st) Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Immunology (1991) 21, 166), and so on.

Basically, hybridomas that produce the anti-IL-6 antibodies can be prepared using known techniques, as follows: Specifically, such hybridomas can be prepared by using IL-6 as a sensitizing antigen to carry out immunization using a conventional immunization method, then fusing the obtained immune cells with known parent cells using a conventional cell fusion method, and screening for monoclonal antibody-producing cells using a conventional screening method.

More specifically, anti-IL-6 antibodies can be produced as follows: For example, human IL-6 for use as the sensitizing antigen for obtaining antibodies can be obtained using an IL-6 gene and/or amino acid sequence disclosed in Eur. J. Biochem. (1987) 168, 543-550; J. Immunol. (1988) 140, 1534-1541; and/or Agr. Biol. Chem. (1990) 54, 2685-2688.

After transforming an appropriate host cell with a known expression vector system inserted with an IL-6 gene sequence, the desired IL-6 protein is purified from the inside of the host cell or from the culture supernatant, by using known methods. This purified IL-6 protein may be used as a sensitizing antigen. Alternatively, a fusion protein of the IL-6 protein and another protein may be used as a sensitizing antigen.

The anti-IL6 receptor antibodies used in the present invention can be obtained as polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies by using known methods. In particular, the anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies used in the present invention are preferably monoclonal antibodies derived from mammals. The monoclonal antibodies derived from mammals include those produced from hybridomas and those produced using genetic engineering methods from hosts transformed with an expression vector that comprises an antibody gene. By binding to an IL-6 receptor, the antibody inhibits IL-6 from binding to the IL-6 receptor, and thus blocks the transmission of IL-6 biological activity into the cell.

Such antibodies include MR16-1 antibody (Tamura, T. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1993) 90, 11924-11928); PM-1 antibody (Hirata, Y. et al., J. Immunol. (1989) 143, 2900-2906); AUK12-20 antibody, AUK64-7 antibody and AUK146-15 antibody (International Patent Application Publication No. WO 92/19759); and so on. The PM-1 antibody is an example of a preferred monoclonal antibody against human IL-6 receptor, and the MR16-1 antibody is an example of a preferred monoclonal antibody against mouse IL-6 receptor. The hybridoma cell line that produces PM-1 antibody has been internationally deposited under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty as PM-1 on Jul. 12, 1988 with the International Patent Organism Depository of the National Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (Central 6, -1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Pref., 305-5466 Japan) as FERM BP-2998. Also, the hybridoma cell line that produces MR16-1 antibody has been internationally deposited under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty as rat-mouse hybridoma MR16-1 on Mar. 13, 1997 with the International Patent Organism Depository of the National Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Pref., 305-5466Japan) as FERM BP-5875.

Basically, hybridomas producing an anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody can be prepared using known techniques, as follows: Specifically, such hybridomas can be prepared by using an IL-6 receptor as the sensitizing antigen to carry out immunization using a conventional immunization method, then fusing the obtained immune cells with a known parent cell using a conventional cell fusion method, and screening for monoclonal antibody-producing cells using a conventional screening method.

More specifically, anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies can be produced as follows: For example, a human IL-6 receptor or mouse IL-6 receptor for use as a sensitizing antigen for obtaining antibodies can be obtained by using the IL-6 receptor genes and/or amino acid sequences disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. EP 325474 and Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. (JP-A) H03-155795 (unexamined, published Japanese patent application), respectively.

There are two kinds of IL-6 receptor proteins: one expressed on the cell membrane and the other separated from the cell membrane (soluble IL-6 receptors) (Yasukawa, K. et al., J. Biochem. (1990) 108, 673-676). The soluble IL-6 receptor essentially consists of the extracellular region of the cell membrane-bound IL-6 receptor, and differs from the membrane-bound IL-6 receptor in that it lacks the transmembrane region, or lacks both the transmembrane and intracellular regions. Any IL-6 receptor may be employed as an IL-6 receptor protein, so long as it can be used as a sensitizing antigen for producing an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody used in the present invention.

After transforming an appropriate host cell with a known expression vector system inserted with an IL-6 receptor gene sequence, the desired IL-6 receptor protein is purified from the inside of the host cell or from the culture supernatant by using a known method. This purified IL-6 receptor protein may be used as a sensitizing antigen. Alternatively, a cell expressing an IL-6 receptor or a fusion protein of an IL-6 receptor protein and another protein may be used as a sensitizing antigen.

The anti-gp130 antibodies used in the present invention can be obtained as polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies by using known methods. In particular, the anti-gp130 antibodies used in the present invention are preferably monoclonal antibodies derived from mammals. Mammal-derived monoclonal antibodies include those produced from hybridomas and those produced using genetic engineering methods from hosts transformed with an expression vector that comprises an antibody gene. By binding to gp130, the antibody inhibits gp130 from binding to the IL-6/IL-6 receptor complex, and thus blocks transmission of IL-6 biological activity into the cell.

Such antibodies include AM64 antibody (JP-A (Kokai) H03-219894); 4B11 antibody and 2H4 antibody (U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,513); B-S12 antibody and B-P8 antibody (JP-A (Kokai) H08-291199); and so on.

Basically, anti-gp 130 monoclonal antibody-producing hybridomas can be prepared using known techniques, as follows: Specifically, such hybridomas can be prepared by using gp 130 as a sensitizing antigen to carry out immunization using a conventional immunization method, then fusing the obtained immune cells with a known parent cell using a conventional cell fusion method, and screening for monoclonal antibody-producing cells using a conventional screening method.

More specifically, monoclonal antibodies can be produced as follows: For example, gp130 for use as a sensitizing antigen for obtaining antibodies can be obtained using the gp130 gene and/or amino acid sequence disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. EP 411946.

After transforming an appropriate host cell with a known expression vector system inserted with a gp130 gene sequence, the desired gp130 protein is purified from the inside of the host cell or from the culture supernatant, by using a known method. This purified gp130 protein may be used as a sensitizing antigen. Alternatively, a cell expressing gp130 or a fusion protein of the gp 130 protein and another protein may be used as a sensitizing antigen.

Mammals to be immunized with a sensitizing antigen are not particularly limited, but are preferably selected in consideration of compatibility with the parent cell used for cell fusion. Generally, rodents such as mice, rats, and hamsters are used.

Animals are immunized with sensitizing antigens according to known methods. For example, as a general method, animals are immunized by intraperitoneal or subcutaneous injection of a sensitizing antigen. Specifically, the sensitizing antigen is preferably diluted or suspended in an appropriate amount of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), physiological saline or such, mixed with an appropriate amount of a general adjuvant (e.g., Freund's complete adjuvant), emulsified, and then administered to a mammal several times, every four to 21 days. In addition, an appropriate carrier may be used for immunization with a sensitizing antigen.

Following such immunization, an increased level of a desired antibody in serum is confirmed and then immune cells are obtained from the mammal for cell fusion. Preferred immune cells for cell fusion include spleen cells in particular.

The mammalian myeloma cells used as parent cells, i.e. as partner cells to be fused with the above immune cells, include various known cell strains, for example, P3X63Ag8.653 (Kearney, J. F. et al., J. Immunol. (1979) 123, 1548-1550), P3X63Ag8U.1 (Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology (1978) 81, 1-7), NS-1 (Kohler, G. and Milstein, C., Eur. J. Immunol. (1976) 6, 511-519), MPC-11 (Margulies, D. H. et al., Cell (1976) 8, 405-415), SP2/0 (Shulman, M. et al., Nature (1978) 276, 269-270), F0 (de St. Groth, S. F. et al., J. Immunol. Methods (1980) 35, 1-21), S194 (Trowbridge, I. S., J. Exp. Med. (1978) 148, 313-323), R210 (Galfre, G. et al., Nature (1979) 277, 131-133), and such.

Basically, cell fusion of the aforementioned immune cells and myeloma cells can be performed using known methods, for example, the method of Milstein et al. (Kohler, G. and Milstein, C., Methods Enzymol. (1981) 73, 3-46), and such.

More specifically, the aforementioned cell fusion is achieved in general nutrient culture medium in the presence of a cell fusion-enhancing agent. For example, polyethylene glycol (PEG), Sendai virus (HVJ), and such are used as fusion enhancing agents. Further, to enhance fusion efficiency, auxiliary agents such as dimethyl sulfoxide may be added depending on needs.

A preferable example of the ratio of immune cells to myeloma cells to be used is 1 to 10 immune cells per myeloma cell. The culture medium used for the aforementioned cell fusion is, for example, the RPMI1640 or MEM culture medium, which are suitable for proliferation of the aforementioned myeloma cells. A general culture medium used for culturing this type of cell can also be used. Furthermore, serum supplements such as fetal calf serum (FCS) can be used in combination.

For cell fusion, the fusion cells (hybridomas) of interest are formed by mixing predetermined amounts of an aforementioned immune cell and myeloma cell in an aforementioned culture medium, and then adding and mixing a concentration of 30% to 60% (w/v) PEG solution (e.g., a PEG solution with a mean molecular weight of about 1,000 to 6,000), pre-heated to about 37° C. Then, cell fusion agents and such that are unsuitable for the growth of hybridomas can be removed by repeatedly adding an appropriate culture medium and then removing the supernatant by centrifugation.

The above hybridomas are selected by culturing cells in a general selection culture medium, for example, HAT culture medium (a culture medium containing hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine). Culture in HAT culture medium is continued for a period sufficient to kill cells other than the hybridomas of interest (unfused cells), generally several days to several weeks. Then, a standard limited dilution method is performed to screen and clone hybridomas that produce an antibody of interest.

In addition to the methods for immunizing non-human animals with antigens for obtaining the aforementioned hybridomas, desired human antibodies with the activity of binding to a desired antigen or antigen-expressing cell can be obtained by sensitizing a human lymphocyte with a desired antigen protein or antigen-expressing cell in vitro, and fusing the sensitized B lymphocyte with a human myeloma cell (e.g., U266) (see Japanese Patent Application Kokoku Publication No. (JP-B) H01-59878 (examined, approved Japanese patent application published for opposition)). Further, a desired human antibody can be obtained by administering an antigen or antigen-expressing cell to a transgenic animal that has a repertoire of human antibody genes, and then following the aforementioned method (see International Patent Application Publication Nos. WO 93/12227, WO 92/03918, WO 94/02602, WO 94/25585, WO 96/34096, and WO 96/33735).

The thus-prepared hybridomas that produce monoclonal antibodies can be subcultured in a conventional culture medium and stored in liquid nitrogen for a long period.

When obtaining monoclonal antibodies from the aforementioned hybridomas, the following methods may be employed: methods where the hybridomas are cultured according to conventional methods and the antibodies are obtained as a culture supernatant; methods where the hybridomas are proliferated by administering them to a compatible mammal and the antibodies are obtained as ascites; and so on. The former method is preferred for obtaining antibodies with high purity, and the latter is preferred for large-scale antibody production.

For example, anti-IL-6 receptor antibody-producing hybridomas can be prepared by the method disclosed in JP-A (Kokai) H03-139293. Such hybridomas can be prepared by injecting a PM-1 antibody-producing hybridoma into the abdominal cavity of a BALB/c mouse, obtaining ascites, and then purifying a PM-1 antibody from the ascites; or by culturing the hybridoma in an appropriate medium (e.g., RPMI 640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, and 5% BM-Condimed H1 (Boehringer Mannheim); hybridoma SFM medium (GIBCO-BRL); PFHM-II medium (GIBCO-BRL), etc.) and then obtaining PM-1 antibody from the culture supernatant.

Recombinant antibodies can be used as the monoclonal antibodies of the present invention, wherein the antibodies are produced using genetic recombination techniques, by cloning an antibody gene from a hybridoma, inserting the gene into an appropriate vector, and then introducing the vector into a host (see, for example, Borrebaeck, C. A. K. and Larrick, J. W., Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, published in the United Kingdom by Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 1990).

More specifically, mRNAs coding for antibody variable (V) regions are isolated from cells that produce antibodies of interest, such as hybridomas. mRNAs can be isolated by preparing total RNAs according to known methods, such as the guanidine ultracentrifugation method (Chirgwin, J. M. et al., Biochemistry (1979) 18, 5294-5299) and the AGPC method (Chomczynski, P. et al., Anal. Biochem. (1987) 162, 156-159), and preparing mRNAs using an mRNA Purification Kit (Pharmacia) and such. Alternatively, mRNAs can be directly prepared using a QuickPrep mRNA Purification Kit (Pharmacia).

cDNAs of the antibody V regions are synthesized from the obtained mRNAs using reverse transcriptase. cDNAs may be synthesized using an AMV Reverse Transcriptase First-strand cDNA Synthesis Kit, and so on. Further, to synthesize and amplify the cDNAs, the 5′-RACE method (Frohman, M. A. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1988) 85, 8998-9002; Belyavsky, A. et al., Nucleic Acids Res. (1989) 17, 2919-2932) using 5′-Ampli FINDER RACE Kit (Clontech) and PCR may be employed. A DNA fragment of interest is purified from the obtained PCR products and then ligated with a vector DNA. Then, a recombinant vector is prepared using the above DNA, and is introduced into Escherichia coli or such, and then its colonies are selected to prepare a desired recombinant vector. The nucleotide sequence of the DNA of interest is confirmed by, for example, the deoxy method.

When a DNA encoding the V region of an antibody of interest is obtained, the DNA is ligated with a DNA that encodes a desired antibody constant region (C region), and is inserted into an expression vector. Alternatively, a DNA encoding an antibody V region may be inserted into an expression vector comprising a DNA of an antibody C region.

To produce an antibody to be used in the present invention, as described below, an antibody gene is inserted into an expression vector such that it is expressed under the control of an expression regulating region, for example, an enhancer and promoter. Then, the antibody can be expressed by transforming a host cell with this expression vector.

In the present invention, to reduce heteroantigenicity against humans and such, artificially modified genetic recombinant antibodies, for example, chimeric antibodies, humanized antibodies, or human antibodies, can be used. These modified antibodies can be prepared using known methods.

A chimeric antibody can be obtained by ligating a DNA encoding an antibody V region, obtained as above, with a DNA encoding a human antibody C region, then inserting the DNA into an expression vector and introducing it into a host for production (see European Patent Application Publication No. EP 125023; International Patent Application Publication No. WO 92/19759). This known method can be used to obtain chimeric antibodies useful for the present invention.

Humanized antibodies are also referred to as reshaped human antibodies, and are antibodies wherein the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of an antibody from a mammal other than a human (e.g., a mouse antibody) are transferred into the CDRs of human antibodies. General methods for this gene recombination are also known (see European Patent Application Publication No. EP 125023, International Patent Application Publication No. WO 92/19759).

More specifically, DNA sequences designed such that a CDR of a mouse antibody is ligated with a framework regions (FR) of a human antibody are synthesized by PCR from several oligonucleotides produced to contain overlapping portions at their termini. An obtained DNA is ligated with a human antibody C region-encoding DNA and then inserted into an expression vector. The expression vector is introduced into a host to produce a humanized antibody (see European Patent Application Publication No. EP 239400, International Patent Application Publication No. WO 92/19759).

The human antibody FRs to be ligated via the CDRs are selected so that the CDRs form suitable antigen binding sites. The amino acid(s) within the FRs of the antibody variable regions may be substituted as necessary so that the CDRs of the reshaped human antibody form an appropriate antigen binding site (Sato, K. et al., Cancer Res. (1993) 53, 851-856).

Human antibody C regions are used for the chimeric and humanized antibodies. The human antibody C regions include Cγ. For example, Cγ1, Cγ2, Cγ3, or Cγ4 may be used. Furthermore, to improve the stability of the antibodies or their production, the human antibody C regions may be modified.

Chimeric antibodies consist of the variable region of an antibody derived from a non-human mammal and the constant region of an antibody derived from a human; humanized antibodies consist of the CDRs of an antibody derived from a non-human mammal and the framework regions and constant regions derived from a human antibody. Both have reduced antigenicity in the human body, and are thus useful as antibodies for use in the present invention.

Preferred specific examples of humanized antibodies for use in the present invention include the humanized PM-1 antibody (see International Patent Application Publication No. WO 92/19759).

Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned methods for obtaining human antibodies, techniques for obtaining human antibodies by panning using a human antibody library are also known. For example, the variable regions of human antibodies can be expressed on phage surfaces as single chain antibodies (scFv) by using the phage display method, and antigen-binding phages can then be selected. By analyzing the genes of the selected phages, DNA sequences coding for the human antibody variable regions that bind to the antigen can be determined. Once the DNA sequence of an scFv that binds to the antigen is revealed, an appropriate expression vector comprising the sequence can be constructed to obtain a human antibody. These methods are already known, and the publications of WO 92/01047, WO 92/20791, WO93/06213, WO 93/11236, WO 93/19172, WO 95/01438, and WO 95/15388 can be used as reference.

The antibody genes constructed above can be expressed according to conventional methods. When a mammalian cell is used, the antibody gene can be expressed using a DNA in which the antibody gene to be expressed is functionally ligated to a useful commonly used promoter and a poly A signal downstream of the antibody gene, or a vector comprising the DNA. Examples of a promoter/enhancer include the human cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter/enhancer.

Other promoters/enhancers that can be used for expressing the antibodies for use in the present invention include viral promoters/enhancers from retroviruses, polyoma viruses, adenoviruses, simian virus 40 (SV40), and such; and also include mammalian cell-derived promoters/enhancers such as human elongation factor 1α (HEF 1γ).

For example, when the SV40 promoter/enhancer is used, the expression can be easily performed by following the method by Mulligan et al. (Mulligan, R. C. et al., Nature (1979) 277, 108-114). Alternatively, in the case of the HEF1α promoter/enhancer, the method by Mizushima et al. (Mizushima, S, and Nagata S., Nucleic Acids Res. (1990) 18, 5322) can be used.

When E. coli is used, an antibody gene can be expressed by functionally ligating a conventional promoter, a signal sequence for antibody secretion, and the antibody gene to be expressed. Examples of the promoter include a lacZ promoter, araB promoter and such. When a lacZ promoter is used, genes can be expressed according to the method of Ward et al. (Ward, E. S. et al., Nature (1989) 341, 544-546; Ward, E. S. et al., FASEB J. (1992) 6, 2422-2427); and the araB promoter may be used according to the method of Better et al. (Better, M. et al., Science (1988) 240, 1041-1043).

When the antibody is produced into the periplasm of E. coli, the pel B signal sequence (Lei, S. P. et al., J. Bacteriol. (1987) 169, 4379-4383) may be used as a signal sequence for antibody secretion. The antibodies produced into the periplasm are isolated, and then used after appropriately refolding the antibody structure (see, for example, WO 96/30394).

A replication origin derived from SV40, polyoma virus, adenovirus, bovine papilloma virus (BPV) and such may be used. In addition, to enhance the gene copy number in a host cell system, the expression vector may comprise the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APH) gene, thymidine kinase (TK) gene, E. coli xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Ecogpt) gene, dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) gene, or such as a selection marker.

Any production system may be used to prepare the antibodies for use in the present invention. The production systems for antibody preparation include in vitro and in vivo production systems. In vitro production systems include those using eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic cells.

Production systems using eukaryotic cells include those using animal cells, plant cells, or fungal cells. Such animal cells include: (1) mammalian cells, for example, CHO, COS, myeloma, baby hamster kidney (BHK), HeLa, Vero, and such; (2) amphibian cells, for example, Xenopus oocyte; and (3) insect cells, for example, sf9, sf21, Tn5, and such. Known plant cells include cells derived from Nicotiana tabacum, which may be cultured as a callus. Known fungal cells include yeasts such as Saccharomyces (e.g., S. cerevisiae), mold fungi such as Aspergillus (e.g., A. niger), and such.

Production systems using prokaryotic cells include those using bacterial cells. Known bacterial cells include E. coli and Bacillus subtilis.

Antibodies can be obtained by using transformation to introduce an antibody gene of interest into these cells, and then culturing the transformed cells in vitro. Cultures are conducted according to known methods. For example, DMEM, MEM, RPMI1640, IMDM may be used as the culture medium, and serum supplements such as FCS may be used in combination. Further, cells introduced with antibody genes may be transferred into the abdominal cavity or such of an animal to produce the antibodies in vivo.

On the other hand, in vivo production systems include those using animals or plants. Production systems using animals include those that use mammals or insects.

Mammals that can be used include goats, pigs, sheep, mice, bovines and such (Vicki Glaser, SPECTRUM Biotechnology Applications, 1993). Further, insects that can be used include silkworms. When using plants, tobacco may be used, for example.

An antibody gene is introduced into these animals or plants, the antibody is produced in the body of the animals or plants, and this antibody is then recovered. For example, an antibody gene can be prepared as a fusion gene by inserting it into the middle of a gene encoding a protein such as goat β casein, which is uniquely produced into milk. DNA fragments comprising the fusion gene, which includes the antibody gene, are injected into goat embryos, and the embryos are introduced into female goats. The desired antibody is obtained from milk produced by the transgenic animals born to the goats that received the embryos, or produced from the progenies of these animals. The transgenic goats can be given hormones to increase the volume of milk containing the desired antibody that they produce (Ebert, K. M. et al., Bio/Technology (1994) 12, 699-702).

When silkworms are used, the silkworms are infected with a baculovirus inserted with a desired antibody gene, and the desired antibody is obtained from the body fluids of these silkworms (Maeda, S. et al., Nature (1985) 315, 592-594). Moreover, when tobacco is used, the desired antibody gene is inserted into a plant expression vector (e.g., pMON530) and the vector is introduced into bacteria such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This bacterium is used to infect tobacco (e.g., Nicotiana tabacum) such that desired antibodies can be obtained from the leaves of this tobacco (Julian, K.-C. Ma et al., Eur. J. Immunol. (1994) 24, 131-138).

When producing antibodies using in vitro or in vivo production systems, as described above, DNAs encoding an antibody heavy chain (H chain) and light chain (L chain) may be inserted into separate expression vectors and a host is then co-transformed with the vectors. Alternatively, the DNAs may be inserted into a single expression vector for transforming a host (see International Patent Application Publication No. WO 94/11523).

The antibodies used in the present invention may be antibody fragments or modified products thereof, so long as they can be suitably used in the present invention. For example, antibody fragments include Fab, F(ab′)2, Fv, and single chain Fv (scFv), in which the Fvs of the H and L chains are linked via an appropriate linker.

Specifically, the antibody fragments are produced by treating antibodies with enzymes, for example, papain or pepsin, or alternatively, genes encoding these fragments are constructed, introduced into expression vectors, and these are expressed in appropriate host cells (see, for example, Co, M. S. et al., J. Immunol. (1994) 152, 2968-2976; Better, M. & Horwitz, A. H., Methods in Enzymology (1989) 178, 476-496; Plueckthun, A. & Skerra, A., Methods in Enzymology (1989) 178, 497-515; Lamoyi, E., Methods in Enzymology (1989) 121, 652-663; Rousseaux, J. et al., Methods in Enzymology (1989) 121, 663-666; Bird, R. E. et al., TIBTECH (1991) 9, 132-137).

An scFv can be obtained by linking the H-chain V region and the L-chain V region of an antibody. In the scFv, the H-chain V region and the L-chain V region are linked via a linker, preferably via a peptide linker (Huston, J. S. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1988) 85, 5879-5883). The V regions of the H and L chains in an scFv may be derived from any of the antibodies described above. Peptide linkers for linking the V regions include, for example, arbitrary single chain peptides consisting of 12 to 19 amino acid residues.

An scFv-encoding DNA can be obtained by using a DNA encoding an H chain or a V region and a DNA encoding an L chain or a V region of the aforementioned antibodies as templates, using PCR to amplify a DNA portion that encodes the desired amino acid sequence in the template sequence and that uses primers that define the termini of the portion, and then further amplifying the amplified DNA portion with a DNA that encodes a peptide linker portion and primer pairs that link both ends of the linker to the H chain and L chain.

Once an scFv-encoding DNA has been obtained, an expression vector comprising the DNA and a host transformed with the vector can be obtained according to conventional methods. In addition, scFv can be obtained according to conventional methods using the host.

As above, these antibody fragments can be produced from the host by obtaining and expressing their genes. Herein, an “antibody” encompasses such antibody fragments.

Antibodies bound to various molecules, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), may also be used as modified antibodies. Herein, an “antibody” encompasses such modified antibodies. These modified antibodies can be obtained by chemically modifying the obtained antibodies. Such methods are already established in the art.

Antibodies produced and expressed as above can be isolated from the inside or outside of the cells or from the hosts, and then purified to homogeneity. The antibodies for use in the present invention can be isolated and/or purified using affinity chromatography. Columns to be used for the affinity chromatography include, for example, protein A columns and protein G columns. Carriers used for the protein A columns include, for example, HyperD, POROS, Sepharose FF and such. In addition to the above, other methods used for the isolation and/or purification of common proteins may be used, and are not limited in any way.

For example, the antibodies used for the present invention may be isolated and/or purified by appropriately selecting and combining chromatographies in addition to affinity chromatography, filters, ultrafiltration, salting-out, dialysis, and such. Chromatographies include, for example, ion-exchange chromatography, hydrophobic chromatography, gel filtration, and such. These chromatographies can be applied to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Alternatively, reverse phase HPLC may be used.

The concentration of the antibodies obtained as above can be determined by absorbance measurement, ELISA, or such. Specifically, absorbance is determined by appropriately diluting the antibody solution with PBS(−), measuring absorbance at 280 nm, and calculating the concentration (1.35 OD=1 mg/ml). Alternatively, when using ELISA, the measurement can be performed as follows: Specifically, 100 μl of goat anti-human IgG (TAG) diluted to 1 μg/ml with 0.1 M bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.6) is added to a 96-well plate (Nunc) and incubated overnight at 4° C. to immobilize the antibody. After blocking, 100 μl of an appropriately diluted antibody of the present invention or an appropriately diluted sample comprising the antibody, and human IgG (Cappel) are added as a standard, and incubated for one hour at room temperature.

After washing, 100 μl of 5,000× diluted alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-human IgG (BIO SOURCE) is added and incubated for one hour at room temperature. After another wash, substrate solution is added and incubated, and the absorbance at 405 nm is measured using a Microplate Reader Model 3550 (Bio-Rad) to calculate the concentration of the antibody of interest.

The IL-6 variants used in the present invention are substances with the activity of binding to an IL-6 receptor and which do not transmit IL-6 biological activity. That is, the IL-6 variants compete with IL-6 to bind to IL-6 receptors, but fail to transmit IL-6 biological activity, and hence they block IL-6-mediated signal transduction.

The IL-6 variants are produced by introducing mutation(s) by substituting amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of IL-6. The origin of IL-6 used as the base of the IL-6 variants is not limited, but is preferably human IL-6 in consideration of antigenicity and such.

More specifically, amino acid substitutions are performed by predicting the secondary structure of the IL-6 amino acid sequence using known molecular modeling programs (e.g., WHAT IF; Vriend et al., J. Mol. Graphics. (1990) 8, 52-56), and further assessing the influence of the substituted amino acid residue(s) on the whole molecule. After determining the appropriate amino acid residue to be substituted, commonly performed PCR methods are carried out using a nucleotide sequence encoding a human IL-6 gene as a template, and mutations are introduced to cause amino acids substitutions, and thus genes encoding IL-6 variants are obtained. If needed, this gene is inserted into an appropriate expression vector, and the IL-6 variant can be obtained by applying the aforementioned methods for expression, production, and purification of recombinant antibodies.

Specific examples of the IL-6 variants are disclosed in Brakenhoff et al., J. Biol. Chem. (1994) 269, 86-93, Savino et al., EMBO J. (1994) 13, 1357-1367, WO 96/18648, and WO 96/17869.

The partial peptides of IL-6 and of the IL-6 receptor to be used in the present invention are substances with the activity of binding to the IL-6 receptor and to IL-6, respectively, and which do not transmit IL-6 biological activity. Namely, by binding to and capturing an IL-6 receptor or IL-6, the IL-6 partial peptides or IL-6 receptor partial peptides can specifically inhibit IL-6 from binding to the IL-6 receptor. As a result, the biological activity of IL-6 is not transmitted, and IL-6-mediated signal transduction is blocked.

The partial peptides of IL-6 or IL-6 receptor are peptides that comprise part or all of the amino acid sequence of the region of the IL-6 or IL-6 receptor amino acid sequence that is involved in the binding between the IL-6 and IL-6 receptor. Such peptides usually comprise ten to 80, preferably 20 to 50, and more preferably 20 to 40 amino acid residues.

The IL-6 partial peptides or IL-6 receptor partial peptides can be produced according to generally known methods, for example, genetic engineering techniques or peptide synthesis methods, by specifying the region of the IL-6 or IL-6 receptor amino acid sequence that is involved in the binding between the IL-6 and IL-6 receptor, and using a portion or entirety of the amino acid sequence of the specified region.

When preparing an IL-6 partial peptide or IL-6 receptor partial peptide using genetic engineering methods, a DNA sequence encoding the desired peptide is inserted into an expression vector, and then the peptide can be obtained by applying the aforementioned methods for expressing, producing, and purifying recombinant antibodies.

When producing an IL-6 partial peptide or IL-6 receptor partial peptide by using peptide synthesis methods, generally used peptide synthesis methods, for example, solid phase synthesis methods or liquid phase synthesis methods, may be used.

Specifically, the peptides can be synthesized according to the method described in “Continuation of Development of Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 14, Peptide Synthesis (in Japanese) (ed. Haruaki Yajima, 1991, Hirokawa Shoten)”. As a solid phase synthesis method, for example, the following method can be employed: the amino acid corresponding to the C terminus of the peptide to be synthesized is bound to a support that is insoluble in organic solvents, then the peptide strand is elongated by alternately repeating (1) the reaction of condensing amino acids whose α-amino groups and branch chain functional groups are protected with appropriate protecting groups, one at a time in a C— to N-terminal direction; and (2) the reaction of removing the protecting groups from the α-amino groups of the resin-bound amino acids or peptides. Solid phase peptide synthesis is broadly classified into the Boc method and the Fmoc method, depending on the type of protecting groups used.

After synthesizing a protein of interest as above, deprotection reactions are carried out, then the peptide strand is cleaved from its support. For the cleavage reaction of the peptide strand, hydrogen fluoride or trifluoromethane sulfonic acid is generally used for the Boc method, and TFA is generally used for the Fmoc method. In the Boc method, for example, the above-mentioned protected peptide resin is treated with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of anisole. Then, the peptide is recovered by removing the protecting groups and cleaving the peptide from its support. By freeze-drying the recovered peptide, a crude peptide can be obtained. In the Fmoc method, on the other hand, the deprotection reaction and the reaction to cleave the peptide strand from the support can be performed in TFA using a method similar to those described above, for example.

Obtained crude peptides can be separated and/or purified by applying HPLC. Elution may be performed under optimum conditions using a water-acetonitrile solvent system, which is generally used for protein purification. The fractions corresponding to the peaks of the obtained chromatographic profile are collected and freeze-dried. Thus, purified peptide fractions are identified by molecular weight analysis via mass spectrum analysis, amino acid composition analysis, amino acid sequence analysis, or such.

Specific examples of IL-6 partial peptides and IL-6 receptor partial peptides are disclosed in JP-A (Kokai) H02-188600, JP-A (Kokai) H07-324097, JP-A (Kokai) H08-311098, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,075.

The antibodies used in the present invention may also be conjugated antibodies that are bound to various molecules, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), radioactive substances, and toxins. Such conjugated antibodies can be obtained by chemically modifying the obtained antibodies. Methods for modifying antibodies are already established in the art. The “antibodies” of the present invention encompass these conjugated antibodies.

The preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving CNV and the CNV inhibitors of the present invention can be used to prevent and/or treat diseases involving CNV.

In the present invention, CNV refers to ectopic growth of choroidal vessels, penetrating through Bruch's membrane and retinal pigment epithelia. CNV in age-related macular degeneration is thought to be induced by inflammatory cells, mainly comprising macrophages that infiltrate to phagocytose drusen accumulated near the retinal pigment epithelia upon oxidation stress with age. A persistent chronic weak inflammatory reaction allows inflammatory cells to produce angiogenic factors, such as VEGF, and inflammatory neovascularization occurs as a result. The hemorrhage and leakage of plasma components comprising fat from the plexus of premature vessels grown through CNV rapidly impairs the function of neural retina, and thus causes diseases which bring severe visual disorders.

Representative diseases involving CNV include age-related macular degeneration, myopic choroidal neovascularization, idiopathic choroidal neovascularization and such.

Age-related macular degeneration refers to diseases in which visual impairment results from macular degeneration with age and the major symptoms are image distortion (anorthopia) and central scotoma. The wet form of age-related macular degeneration is a disease with poor prognosis that results in rapid and severe visual impairment, with the major pathological condition being CNV. Opthalmoscopic symptoms are exudative changes, such as retinal pigment epithelium detachment, serous retinal detachment, subretinal hemorrhage, and hard white exudate.

Myopic choroidal neovascularization is the most common disease causing visual impairment in persons with pathologic myopia. When vessels are newly generated in the macular area, pigmented fibrous scars, which result in scotoma in the center of vision, are often formed. Excessive myopia, which is common in the Japanese people, is caused by the abnormal extension of the antero-posterior length of the eye (the eye's axis). As a result, various myopia-specific eyeground lesions, such as CNV, are developed at the posterior pole of eyeground, which can cause visual disorders.

Idiopathic choroidal neovascularization often develops in one eye in young women, and can be diagnosed when myopia, uveitis, injury, collagen disease, infection, and the like can be negated. Tiny newly generated vascular tissues, hemorrhaging and exudative changes, such as edema, may be found under the retina. The involvement of inflammation has been suggested in this disease, since it eases after a few months of treatment with anti-inflammatory steroids.

In the present invention, diseases involving CNV are not limited to the diseases described above, and also include diseases involving CNV that are caused by other diseases that result in damage at the level of Bruch's membrane and retinal pigment epithelia and subsequent inflammatory neovascularization, such as uveitis posterior, traumatic choroidal rupture, angioid streaks, and ocular histoplasmosis syndrome.

In the present invention, the “treatment of diseases involving CNV” refers to diseases involving CNV, where a symptom caused by an above disease is suppressed or ameliorated. The treatment of diseases involving CNV also refers to suppressing CNV progression and functional impairment of neural retina caused by hemorrhage or leakage of plasma components from abnormal newly generated vessels. Further, the “prevention of diseases involving CNV” means that the onset of CNV is suppressed at inflammatory stages, prior to the advancement of neovascularization.

In the present invention, “suppressing CNV” also refers to suppressing inflammation in the retina (suppressing the growth of inflammatory cells in the retina) and suppressing the production of angiogenic factors by inflammatory cells, in addition to suppressing neovascularization. An inflammation reaction in the retina may be induced by an injury, or by accumulation of metabolic decomposition products, such as drusen.

In the present invention, CNV can be confirmed to be suppressed by detecting the size (volume) of neovascularization using fluorescein fundus angiography or the like. When the volume of neovascularization is reduced after administration of an agent of the present invention, CNV is regarded as suppressed. Methods for detecting CNV are not limited to the methods described above, and CNV can be detected by known methods, and also by the methods described in the Examples herein.

As a disease involving CNV progresses, vision is impaired due to image distortion, central scotoma, and such. In such cases of visual impairment, when visual acuity is improved upon administration of an agent of the present invention, the agent is regarded as useful for patients with such a disease involving CNV.

In the present invention, the activity of IL-6 inhibitors in inhibiting the transduction of IL-6 signals can be evaluated by conventional methods. Specifically, IL-6 is added to cultures of IL-6-dependent human myeloma cell lines (S6B45 and KPMM2), human Lennert T lymphoma cell line KT3, or IL-6-dependent cell line MH60.BSF2; and the ³H-thymidine uptake by the IL-6-dependent cells is measured in the presence of an IL-6 inhibitor. Alternatively, IL-6 receptor-expressing U266 cells are cultured, and ¹²⁵I-labeled IL-6 and an IL-6 inhibitor are added to the culture at the same time; and then ¹²⁵I-labeled IL-6 bound to the IL-6 receptor-expressing cells is quantified. In addition to the IL-6 inhibitor group, a negative control group that does not contain an IL-6 inhibitor is included in the assay system described above. The activity of the IL-6 inhibitor in inhibiting IL-6 can be evaluated by comparing the results of both groups.

As shown in the Examples described below, administering an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody was found to suppress CNV advancement. This thus suggests that IL-6 inhibitors, such as anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies, are useful as preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving CNV, and as CNV inhibitors.

The subjects to be administered with the preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving CNV, and with the CNV inhibitors of the present invention, are mammals. Humans are a preferred mammal.

The preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving CNV and the CNV inhibitors of the present invention can be administered in the form of pharmaceuticals, and can be administered systemically or locally by oral or parenteral routes. For example, intravenous injections such as drip infusions, intramuscular injections, intraperitoneal injections, subcutaneous injections, suppositories, enemas, oral enteric tablets, or the like can be selected. Appropriate administration methods can be selected depending on a patient's age and symptoms. An effective dose per administration is selected from the range of 0.01 to 100 mg/kg body weight. Alternatively, the dose may be selected from the range of 1 to 1000 mg/patient, preferably from the range of 5 to 50 mg/patient. A preferred dose and administration method is as follows: For example, when an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody is used, the effective dose is an amount such that free antibody is present in the blood. Specifically, a dose of 0.5 to 40 mg/kg body weight/month (four weeks), and preferably 1 to 20 mg/kg body weight/month, is administered via an intravenous injection such as a drip infusion, subcutaneous injection or such, once to several times a month, for example, twice a week, once a week, once every two weeks, or once every four weeks. While observing patient condition after administration and considering the trends of blood test values, the administration schedule can be adjusted to widen the administration interval from twice a week or once a week to once every two weeks, once every three weeks, or once every four weeks.

In the present invention, the preventive and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving CNV and the CNV inhibitors may be added with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, such as preservatives and stabilizers. A “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” may refer to a pharmaceutically acceptable material that can be administered along with an agent described above; the material itself may or may not produce the effect of suppressing an increase in CNV. Alternatively, in combination with an IL-6 inhibitor, the material may produce a synergistic or additive stabilizing effect even when it has no effect in suppressing an increase in CNV.

Pharmaceutically acceptable materials include, for example, sterile water, physiological saline, stabilizers, excipients, buffers, preservatives, detergents, chelating agents (EDTA and such), and binders.

In the present invention, detergents include non-ionic detergents, and typical examples of such include sorbitan fatty acid esters such as sorbitan monocaprylate, sorbitan monolaurate, and sorbitan monopalmitate; glycerin fatty acid esters such as glycerin monocaprylate, glycerin monomyristate and glycerin monostearate; polyglycerin fatty acid esters such as decaglyceryl monostearate, decaglyceryl distearate, and decaglyceryl monolinoleate; polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopahnitate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate; polyoxyethylene sorbit fatty acid esters such as polyoxyethylene sorbit tetrastearate and polyoxyethylene sorbit tetraoleate; polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters such as polyoxyethylene glyceryl monostearate; polyethylene glycol fatty acid esters such as polyethylene glycol distearate; polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers such as polyoxyethylene lauryl ether; polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers such as polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene propyl ether, and polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene cetyl ether; polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers such as polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether; polyoxyethylene hardened castor oils such as polyoxyethylene castor oil and polyoxyethylene hardened castor oil (polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil); polyoxyethylene beeswax derivatives such as polyoxyethylene sorbit beeswax; polyoxyethylene lanolin derivatives such as polyoxyethylene lanolin; and polyoxyethylene fatty acid amides and such with an HLB of six to 18, such as polyoxyethylene stearic acid amide.

Detergents also include anionic detergents, and typical examples of such include, for example, alkylsulfates having an alkyl group with ten to 18 carbon atoms, such as sodium cetylsulfate, sodium laurylsulfate, and sodium oleylsulfate; polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfates in which the alkyl group has ten to 18 carbon atoms and the average molar number of added ethylene oxide is 2 to 4, such as sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl sulfate; alkyl sulfosuccinate ester salts having an alkyl group with eight to 18 carbon atoms, such as sodium lauryl sulfosuccinate ester; natural detergents, for example, lecithin; glycerophospholipids; sphingo-phospholipids such as sphingomyelin; and sucrose fatty acid esters in which the fatty acids have 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

One, two or more of the detergents described above can be combined and added to the agents of the present invention. Detergents that are preferably used in the preparations of the present invention include polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, such as polysorbates 20, 40, 60, and 80. Polysorbates 20 and 80 are particularly preferred. Polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycols, such as poloxamer (Pluronic F-68® and such), are also preferred.

The amount of detergent added varies depending on the type of detergent used. When polysorbate 20 or 80 is used, the amount is in general in the range of 0.001 to 100 mg/ml, preferably in the range of 0.003 to 50 mg/ml, and more preferably in the range of 0.005 to 2 mg/ml.

In the present invention, buffers include phosphate, citrate buffer, acetic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, potassium phosphate, gluconic acid, capric acid, deoxycholic acid, salicylic acid, triethanolamine, fumaric acid, and other organic acids; and carbonic acid buffer, Tris buffer, histidine buffer, and imidazole buffer.

Liquid preparations may be formulated by dissolving the agents in aqueous buffers known in the field of liquid preparations. The buffer concentration is in general in the range of 1 to 500 mM, preferably in the range of 5 to 100 mM, and more preferably in the range of 10 to 20 mM.

The agents of the present invention may also comprise other low-molecular-weight polypeptides; proteins such as serum albumin, gelatin, and immunoglobulin; amino acids; sugars and carbohydrates such as polysaccharides and monosaccharides, sugar alcohols, and such.

Herein, amino acids include basic amino acids, for example, arginine, lysine, histidine, and ornithine, and inorganic salts of these amino acids (preferably hydrochloride salts, and phosphate salts, namely phosphate amino acids). When free amino acids are used, the pH is adjusted to a preferred value by adding appropriate physiologically acceptable buffering substances, for example, inorganic acids, and in particular hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, and formic acid, and salts thereof. In this case, the use of phosphate is particularly beneficial because it gives quite stable freeze-dried products. Phosphate is particularly advantageous when preparations do not substantially contain organic acids, such as malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and famaric acid, or do not contain corresponding anions (malate ion, tartrate ion, citrate ion, succinate ion, fumarate ion, and such). Preferred amino acids are arginine, lysine, histidine, and ornithine. Acidic amino acids can also be used, for example, glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and salts thereof (preferably sodium salts); neutral amino acids, for example, isoleucine, leucine, glycine, serine, threonine, valine, methionine, cysteine, and alanine; and aromatic amino acids, for example, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and its derivative, N-acetyl tryptophan.

Herein, sugars and carbohydrates, such as polysaccharides and monosaccharides, include, for example, dextran, glucose, fructose, lactose, xylose, mannose, maltose, sucrose, trehalose, and raffinose.

Herein, sugar alcohols include, for example, mannitol, sorbitol, and inositol.

When the agents of the present invention are prepared as aqueous solutions for injection, the agents may be mixed with, for example, physiological saline, and/or isotonic solutions containing glucose or other auxiliary agents (such as D-sorbitol, D-mannose, D-mannitol, and sodium chloride). The aqueous solutions may be used in combination with appropriate solubilizing agents such as alcohols (ethanol and such), polyalcohols (propylene glycol, PEG, and such), or non-ionic detergents (polysorbate 80 and HCO-50).

The agents may further comprise, if required, diluents, solubilizers, pH adjusters, soothing agents, sulfur-containing reducing agents, antioxidants, and such.

Herein, the sulfur-containing reducing agents include, for example, compounds comprising sulfhydryl groups, such as N-acetylcysteine, N-acetylhomocysteine, thioctic acid, thiodiglycol, thioethanolamine, thioglycerol, thiosorbitol, thioglycolic acid and salts thereof, sodium thiosulfate, glutathione, and thioalkanoic acids having one to seven carbon atoms.

Moreover, the antioxidants in the present invention include, for example, erythorbic acid, dibutylhydroxy toluene, butylhydroxy anisole, α-tocopherol, tocopherol acetate, L-ascorbic acid and salts thereof, L-ascorbic acid palmitate, L-ascorbic acid stearate, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite, triamyl gallate, propyl gallate, and chelating agents such as disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA), sodium pyrophosphate, and sodium metaphosphate.

If required, the agents may be encapsulated in microcapsules (microcapsules of hydroxymethylcellulose, gelatin, poly[methylmethacrylic acid] or such) or prepared as colloidal drug delivery systems (liposome, albumin microspheres, microemulsion, nano-particles, nano-capsules, and such)(see “Remington's Pharmaceutical Science 16^(th) edition”, Oslo Ed., 1980, and the like). Furthermore, methods for preparing agents as sustained-release agents are also known, and are applicable to the present invention (Langer et al., J. Biomed. Mater. Res. (1981) 15, 167-277; Langer, Chem. Tech. (1982) 12, 98-105; U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,919; European Patent Application No. EP 58,481; Sidman et al., Biopolymers (1983) 22, 547-556; and EP 133,988).

The pharmaceutically acceptable carriers used are appropriately selected from those described above, or combined depending on the type of dosage form, but are not limited thereto.

The present invention relates to methods for treating diseases involving choroidal neovascularization, which comprise the step of administering IL-6 inhibitors to subjects who have developed a disease involving CNV.

In the present invention, a “subject” refers to an organism or organism body part to be administered with a preventive and/or therapeutic agent for a disease involving CNV or a CNV inhibitor of the present invention. The organisms include animals (for example, humans, domestic animal species, and wild animals) but are not particularly limited.

The “organism body parts” are not particularly limited, but preferably include the choroid and peripheral parts of the choroid.

Herein, “administration” includes oral and parenteral administration. Oral administration includes, for example, administration of oral agents. Such oral agents include, for example, granules, powders, tablets, capsules, solutions, emulsions, and suspensions.

Parenteral administration includes, for example, administration by injection. Such injections include, for example, intravenous injections such as infusions, subcutaneous injections, intramuscular injections, and intraperitoneal injections. The effects of the methods of the present invention can be achieved by introducing genes comprising oligonucleotides to be administered to living bodies using gene therapy techniques. Alternatively, the agents of the present invention may be administered locally to intended areas of treatment. For example, the agents can be administered by local injection during surgery, by the use of catheters, or by targeted gene delivery of DNAs encoding peptides of the present invention. The agents of the present invention may be administered concurrently with known therapeutic methods for diseases involving CNV, for example, laser photocoagulation, submacular surgery, foveal translocation, photodynamic therapy, and pharmacotherapy, or at different times.

All prior art documents cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

EXAMPLES

Herein below, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the Examples, but it is not to be construed as being limited thereto.

Example 1

The role of signal transduction related to IL-6 receptor in the development of CNV was investigated using a CNV mouse model.

First, C57BL/6 mice were treated by laser photocoagulation to induce CNV. The levels of IL-6 protein and mRNA in the choroid of the mice three days after laser photocoagulation were determined by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. The results showed that the levels of IL-6 protein and mRNA in the choroid of mice with CNV were markedly higher than in normal control mice of the same age (p<0.05).

Next, the rat anti-mouse IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody MR16-1 was administered into the peritoneal cavity at a dose of 10 or 100 μg/g body weight (BW) immediately after photocoagulation. One week after photocoagulation, samples of lectin-stained choroidal flatmounts were produced and the CNV volume was evaluated by calculating the sum of the CNV areas for every 1-μm thick plane using a confocal microscope (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The results showed that MR16-1 treatment markedly suppressed the CNV volume in a dose-dependent manner (mice treated at a dose of 10 μg/g BW: 400-427+95917 μm³; mice treated at a dose of 100 μg/g BW: 290256+74982 dm³) as compared to mice treated with the vehicle alone (496216+81286 μm³) (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The findings described above demonstrate that inhibition of the signal transduction related to IL-6 receptor results in suppression of CNV development. These results suggest that inhibition of IL-6 receptor can be used as a therapeutic strategy to suppress CNV associated with AMD.

Industrial Applicability

The therapeutic agents of the present invention aim to suppress the inflammation accompanying CNV. The agents may be used at inflammatory stages prior to the advancement of VEGF-stimulated neovascularization. In such cases, the agents can suppress the function reduction of neural retina caused by hemorrhage and leakage of plasma components from the abnormally generated vessels, without incurring the incurable, irreversible neurological damages that are inevitable with treatments that begin during advanced stages of neovascularization.

To date, anti-VEGF aptamers are authorized for sale in several countries (United States, Canada, Brazil, and other countries), and are undergoing clinical trials in Japan. Treatment with anti-VEGF aptamers regresses neovascularization and treated groups show less visual impairment than control groups, but visual improvement has never been achieved. This implies that when neural retinas are damaged due to hemorrhaging and edema, they are irreversibly degenerated. This suggests a limit for anti-neovascularization therapies performed once neovascularization has advanced. The only therapeutic procedure approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan to treat CNV caused by age-related macular degeneration is photodynamic therapy, which achieves clot formation to occlude newly generated vessels by locally enhancing the coagulation system in the newly generated vessels. However, like therapy with anti-VEGF aptamers, this therapeutic procedure provides only a poor prognosis for vision.

As described above, in the clinical treatment of age-related macular degeneration, development of therapeutic methods targeting earlier pathological conditions, prior to functional damage in neural retina, is desired. From this viewpoint, the therapeutic agents of the present invention aim to provide a better prognosis for vision, and are expected to be good news for patients with age-related macular degeneration, for whom existing therapeutic methods are not expected to offer sufficient improvements. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for treating a disease involving choroidal neovascularization, the method comprising administering an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor to a subject identified as having developed a disease involving choroidal neovascularization, thereby treating the disease in the subject, wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is age-related macular degeneration, myopic choroidal neovascularization, or idiopathic choroidal neovascularization, and wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that binds to an IL-6 receptor and inhibits signal transduction via the IL-6 receptor.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IL-6 receptor is a human IL-6 receptor.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the antibody is a recombinant antibody.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the antibody is a chimeric, humanized, or human antibody.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is age-related macular degeneration.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is myopic choroidal neovascularization.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is idiopathic choroidal neovascularization.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the antibody is a MR16-1 antibody.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the antibody is a PM-1 antibody.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the antibody is a humanized PM-1 antibody. 